Another One! Hantavirus Kills Man in China

A man from Yunnan in China has died after contacting the Hantavirus on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus on Monday.

It was also reported that 32 other people have been tested, the China’s Global Times reported.

Following his death, hantavirus became a trend on social media, with people panicking that it was another COVID-19 ready to cause a new pandemic. However, contrary to popular belief and WhatsApp university schooling us about it, let’s get a reality check about hantavirus.

Humans who contract the hantavirus usually come into contact with rodents that carry the virus. “Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus,” Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said in its website.

Although HPS can’t be passed on from person to person, it can be contracted if someone touches their eyes, nose or mouth after touching rodent droppings, urine, or nesting materials, states Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet.